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Monday, January 20, 2014

A Family Outing to Mitsuwa Marketplace

We are very fortunate to live in an area that is so rich culturally. Not only do we have the ability to experience so many different places right here in our own town but we are able to show our kids the world without missing a step. In Arlington Heights, we happen to have Mitsuwa Marketplace, the largest Japanese supermarket in the United States. The Marketplace really is an adventure and actually makes for a wonderful outing. There is so much to see that you can actually spend an enjoyable hour or two wandering around taking everything in. I am actually pretty disappointed in myself that we do not visit Mitsuwa more often! On one cold, winter day my husband inspired a visit and I am glad that we went!

When you visit, make sure that you plan to spend a bit of time looking around. You will find quite an impressive and expansive selection. A peek at the produce section will show you that Mitsuwa is quite the treasure trove. From the fresh area to packaged products and frozen treats, there is a lot to look at.

In addition to food products, Mitsuwa also has home items and cosmetics. My daughter spied a number of Hello Kitty items. Of course, she was in heaven! I am a big green tea fan {hello, 6 cups almost every day}, so I love perusing the tea. There is quite an assortment! I bought some Sencha tea while I was there and love it! Ideal for these cold days that we have been graced with! The array of teas also includes several types of Genmai-Cha tea. I love Genmai-Cha because of its toasted flavor. I will certainly be picking up one of these next time! Below is a picture of only part of the tea selection. There is more spread out throughout the store. Plus, if you are looking for bottled green tea--this is your place!

In addition to the grocery portion of the store, Mitsuwa has a lively food court the unfolds many culinary wonders right in front of you. Take a swing through and check out all of the selections before settling on a choice. Udon noodles, sushi, green tea ice cream, tempura, ramen and much more will truly have you tempted. Each time we have visited Mitsuwa, the food court has been really bustling--which in a way adds a little more fun. We have yet to try something from the food court because we seem to always visit on holidays so the market is quite busy. But, I think we will finally try some things out this winter.

There are a few other "stores" in the Marketplace. There is a bookstore and a store selling household items. I spied an area selling dainty tea cups and pots. I resisted the temptation this time but will have to explore it in the future. There also is a video store and more. If you are looking for a little adventure without spending an entire day, I recommend a trip to Mitsuwa!

Our Mitsuwa Marketplace is located at 100 E Algonquin Rd in Arlington Heights. There also are locations in California and New Jersey.

It is such a wonderful place and a great way to spend our winter days! I am seriously mad at myself for not going more often. My daughter has really gotten into sushi, so I plan on returning in the next couple of weeks. We were there on New Year's Eve so it was so busy and we could not even get to the sushi! Hope you make it soon!